Blood Brothers
by TobisaruJC
Summary: Naruto and Kiba. Both orphaned due to the Kyuubi event. Both run out of the village. They meet outside the village and survive by watching out for one another. Years later at 18 Naruto must make a choice due to meeting a beauty. For love or family?
1. Chapter 1

JGOG132: Hey readers, as you may or may not know, Deux Ex Machina could not continue this story. However, I am grateful that she held out as long as she did and should be commended for her efforts. Thankfully, those of you who have seen the story in her name that still want to see it, the story will be continued under my supervision and authoring. Deux Ex Machina was a real sweetheart for creating this story for me, that's why I dedicate it to her. The 1st, 2nd, and 3rd chapters were written by her only, not me, so what you're about to see originally came from her efforts of story writing; therefore, she deserves the credit. Now, for what you've all been waiting for, here's the beginning chapter of "Blood Brothers".

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of its characters, nor does Deux Ex Machina. Enjoy!**

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**Chapter One**

Naruto huffed impatiently, blowing his shaggy blond hair out of his eyes for a moment. He had spotted a slow cart of food heading towards the village a little over an hour before and Kiba was taking his sweet time getting ready for the raid. They would miss it if they didn't set off to stalk it soon. While it was still far from the village, there was only a small patch of road where they could safely take from the cart.

"Come _on_ Kiba! We're gonna miss the cart if you don't hurry up!" He glared angrily at his brother who was still putting on his disguise. Naruto already had his painted on, the likeness of a fox adorning his features. The brilliant orange fox pelt covering his head only added to the image. In the back of the small cavern, Kiba sneered at his brother.

"Aw, shut up Naruto! We're not gonna miss it. If ya're so worried about it, ya go on ahead and start stalking it. I'll catch up with ya before we can steal from it." Naruto rolled his eyes. Both of them knew they would never leave the other behind, even if they were going to catch up later. The bond of brotherhood they had formed was too strong for them to even consider it. Naruto waited for as long as he could before his impatience caught up with him.

"Oh, hurry up, for-"

"Shut up, I'm coming!" Kiba grouched away from his spot and joined Naruto at the front of the cavern. "Ya stay on the north side of the road, I'll cover the south. Meet up with me ahead of it at the great tree after ya've gotten a good look at it. We'll decide what to take then." Naruto grunted his affirmation before leaping out of the cave and passing through the waterfall that hid it. Kiba rolled his eyes at his eagerness, but followed. Naruto was already at the edge of the clearing, waiting for him.

"Come on, I can smell it getting closer. We're not gonna have enough time to check it out if we don't hurry." Kiba sniffed the air and found his brother was right. The cart was close to the area they took from and they didn't have much time before it passed through it.

"Yeah, let's go." Both took off running as fast as they could, weaving in and out of the trees effortlessly, serious looks on their faces. Even though both boys were normally very rambunctious, if they didn't make this raid, they would have to hunt. Hunting and trapping always took more effort and was never a sure thing. Often, their traps were disabled or unintentionally activated by nearby shinobi, leaving them without food.

When they reached the road, Naruto crossed over and disappeared into the brush on the other side. Kiba quickly scrambled into a tree and began swinging and leaping from branch to branch. After a few minutes, he reached his destination: the small, bushy tree he used as a hiding spot. He quickly settled into it and began to wait. He could smell Naruto on the other side of the road, a few hundred feet down the road in his own hiding spot amongst the bushes.

Both predators lay in wait, watching the road carefully for their prey. Sure enough, a large cart came into view, lumbering along the road being pulled by a donkey. The elderly man in the driver's seat would pose no problem as they raided the cart. As it slowly passed, each teen surveyed the contents carefully, picking and choosing what things they would take. Naruto was the first to head towards the great tree, Kiba following soon after.

Kiba arrived to find Naruto waiting on one of the gnarled roots that jutted out from the ground. His fox pelt was pulled off his head and rested against his back. Kiba took a seat beside him and pulled off his own wolf pelt.

"What're we taking'?" Naruto asked, looking expectantly at his brother. He had things he wanted, but Kiba was more survival oriented than he. He would know what things they needed to take and Naruto could take what he wanted after.

"The food, definitely. Leave a bit for the old man and his donkey to make it to Konoha, but take the rest." Naruto grunted, his stomach growling its agreement in Kiba's decision. Kiba smirked, but continued. "I barely saw them, but there are some blankets hidden under the stacks of books in the back. Take those and maybe a book or two if it looks useful. There were some spices in bags, but only take a bit of those. They don't do us much good. After that, take what you want." Naruto grinned, rubbing his hands together excitedly. The rush of raiding always made him giddy and he had seen something he really wanted.

Carefully hidden on the underside of the cart were swords. From the wrapping on the hilts and the inlay on the sheaths, he knew they had to be expensive and well-crafted. There were also some kunai and he planned to take those as well. Maybe the man was some sort of smith, but Naruto didn't care. Ever since Kiba and he had found a book on the art of being a shinobi, he had been hopelessly obsessed with anything concerning the profession. Both had learned the basics, but rarely used them unless given trouble by those they were raiding.

"Come on, I can't wait for this raid Kiba." Naruto hopped to his feet, pulling his pelt back over his head with a wide smile, "I'm gonna go wait for it. I'll yell when it's show time." Kiba stood and stretched a little, not having done so before they left.

"Nah, I'll come with ya." He grinned wolfishly at his brother. "Besides, ya might get into trouble without me there to save ya." Naruto yelled indignantly at the statement, but Kiba could see the smile threatening to overtake his face. They always had each other's back where ever they went.

Both set off down the road, sprinting through the underbrush. Their seriousness had disappeared for the moment, both boys sensing a challenge from the other. They both pushed themselves faster and faster, racing to get to their raiding points. As it always was, they both tied in their race. Grinning like fools and breathing hard, they situated themselves to wait, still burning off the adrenaline the race gave them.

Their boyishness quickly disappeared when the cart came into view, both teens slipping into seriousness once more. There was silence save for the noises of the forest and the creak of the wooden vessel. The cart and donkey lumbered ever closer and the two boys tensed in preparation. Naruto slowly pulled the rope hidden within his pelt into the open and unraveled it. The old man pulled right in front of the boys and a swift nod from Kiba sent them both down on the unsuspecting traveler.

Naruto tossed the rope to Kiba who quickly tied up the man, gagging him with the strip of cloth around his forehead. He struggled uselessly and Kiba just placed him back upon his seat, judging him harmless. Naruto meanwhile was snatching up the things they needed, finding all the things Kiba had mentioned easily. He stuffed them into his pelt, taking it off and using it as a makeshift looting bag. Kiba soon joined in the hunt and both boys had what they needed.

"Let's free the guy and go. We have enough food for now." Naruto nodded.

"I just want to get a few more things and then we can leave." Kiba grunted and headed back to the terrified old man. Naruto shimmied his way under the wagon and eyed the swords happily. He quickly put them in his pelt and snatched the kunai up as well, pocketing them. He got out from under the cart just as Kiba finished freeing the old man. He had him by the collar, sneering threateningly.

"Ya won't mention us, will ya old man?" Naruto resisted rolling his eyes. Kiba always had to go out with a dramatic flare from their raids. The old man stuttered out a no. "That's right. We know how to find ya if ya even so much as whisper this to the breeze. So don't be stupid." With that, he pushed the man back into the driver's seat and slapped the donkey's hind as hard as he could. The beast grunted before straining to run, taking the cart and their victim with it.

The boys didn't even stay to watch the cart leave, merely sprinted back into the forest and their home. Their pelts were bulging with food and their loot and both were satisfied with the haul. They wouldn't have to go hunting or trapping unless the food spoiled quickly. When they arrived back in the clearing, Naruto dropped his bag and dove into the clear water of the river. When he surfaced, his paint was running in rivulets down his face, mixed in with the water.

"Come on in Kiba! The water is great!" He grinned and splashed his brother, laughing as Kiba followed him in, making a huge splash. The boys wrestled in a water for a while before settling themselves on the bank to dry out. Both were breathing hard and had huge smiles on their faces.

"This is great, isn't it Naruto?" Said boy glanced at his best friend; his only support system. He was staring contentedly into the sky, grinning widely.

"Yeah. No rules, no curfews, no hatred." Naruto paused at that, frowning at the memory it brought up. Still, he pushed onward, shaking his head. "Just us two out in the wilderness. I love it like this. It's the best." Silence blanketed them and allowed them to reminisce on their lives, both the good and the bad moments. Neither had had perfect lives in the village, but they were content with their lot. Life had pushed them together and built a bond strong enough to outlast anything. They were sworn brothers and would be there for each other no matter what tried to tear them apart.

Despite this bond, nothing could have quite prepared the boys for what lay in the future. Their bond would be tested to its very limits and a choice would have to be made. For love or family?


	2. Chapter 2

JGOG132: Hello again, here's chapter two of the story. Also written by the lovable Deux Ex Machina. Including the note after the story. Hope you enjoy it!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto or any of its characters and neither does Deux Ex Machina. Read away!

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**Chapter Two**

_Terror held him in place, unable to move a muscle as the taunting and jeering crowd closed in on him, shinobi among their number. At eight years old, Naruto didn't understand what he had done to make them all so furious; didn't understand why they all hated him. Crystal clear blue eyes gazed fearfully at his tormentors as they caged him in. A voice was whispering in his head, urging him fight back and make them regret all the nasty things they said about him._

_He couldn't do it. It wasn't like him to do such a thing, even to people who were unbearably cruel to him. Naruto shook his head violently to rid himself of that silky voice. One of the men in the crowd, the one leading it, laughed at him._

"_Trying to pretend we're not here, demon?" The crowd was mixed with hisses and laughter at his words, making Naruto cower into himself, curling tightly into a ball. The voice was whispering again, more urgently, telling him to run this time, to get away from those trying to hurt him. His eyes darted around furiously, trying to find an escape from his human prison._

'**There...**_**' **__Naruto darted up, sprinting through the small opening the voice had pointed out. Indignant shouts and general confusion followed in his wake and he just ran. Everything in him screamed to run away, far away; hide where no one would look and no one would find him. The darkness of night closed in upon him as he skidded down alleyways and through narrow streets, trying to lose the mob that had once more given chase._

'_Where to hide, where to hide?' He was panicking, his fear overriding his senses and driving him faster into the labyrinth of alleys. Naruto was gasping by the time he left the encroaching darkness. Still, the wide streets provided no sanctuary and he was forced to race onward._

'**The gates, boy, the gates...**_**' **__The voice lead him on, gently guiding him to someplace safe. 'R_un out the gates and far away._' He had never been outside the gates and the thought made him nervous, but he was too far gone to think of anything but escaping. Anything to be safe, to be away from the mean people._

"_Get back here demon!" The man roared, the mob shouting along with him as they raced with the boy to see who could reach their prize first. The name rang in Naruto's head. Demon._

_What had he done? What had he done to deserve such a name? Confusion and fear ran circles inside his head and pushed him to his refuge, now in sight. The gates were open! His tiny legs pumped harder, hope gleaming in his once dull eyes._

'**Faster boy! They are catching up!'**_ The voice was roaring now, making the terrified Naruto whimper and run all the faster._

"_Hey! What are you doing near the gates? Get back!" The guards on the gate were shouting at him, but Naruto ignored them, tears beginning to blur his vision. The gates swam in and out of view, coming closer and closer._

'**Almost to freedom...**_**' **__It was back to whispering and Naruto put on a final burst of speed, racing out the gates and being engulfed by the welcoming darkness of the forest. At the walls, the mob stopped._

"_Should we send someone after him?" One of the guards, one with guilt at the prospect of abandoning a helpless child in a dangerous forest, spoke up timidly. All turned to glare at him._

"_He's better off out there left to die." The leader spat, shaking his head in disgust. "With him out of the village, the memory of the Yondaime can finally be remembered properly." All in the mob bowed their heads, suddenly returning to the normal townspeople and shinobi they were with normal lives. Slowly, the mob dispersed, heading back to their homes and duties for the night. The shinobi on the gate stared worriedly into the forest._

"_Good luck kid." He whispered, grinning slightly. He truly hoped the boy survived, just to prove all the people wrong._

* * *

"Oi! Kiba!" Naruto startled the teenager as he was taking a bath who turned around just in time to see his brother leap at him in the water. "Water fight!" They crashed into the water, making a huge splash as they fought. Naruto had the upper hand, dunking Kiba the first chance he got. He quickly retaliated, however, pulling Naruto down with him.

It had been a week since their last raid and the food was getting steadily slimmer. They knew they only had a few days worth of food left and would have to make another soon to keep their stomachs satisfied. The early morning light was refreshingly cool as they finished their fight and crawled back onto land to dry. As they dried, Kiba noticed something off.

Sniffing, he sat up. "Naruto, do ya smell that?" Naruto followed suit, trying to find what his brother was talking about. "It smells like... food and a girl! Maybe she's got a picnic basket. Knowing girls, it'll probably be great!" Naruto found the scent and grinned excitedly. He leapt to his feet and raced into the waterfall to get ready. It was obvious they would steal her food.

Kiba followed his brother quickly, snatching his tattered brown shorts from the floor. He grimaced at the smell, especially bad to his sensitive nose.

"Do ya think ya can take this one on yer own?" Naruto looked up at Kiba's words confusedly.

"Yeah, why? It's only one girl."

Kiba motioned disdainfully to his clothes. "These smell and would give us away before we ever saw her." Naruto crinkled his nose when the smell registered, making him pull a face.

"True. I'll take this one. You can wash." Kiba stuck his tongue out at Naruto who grinned triumphantly. Both boys hated doing laundry and would avoid it as long as possible. Kiba had lost the battle.

"Fine. Just take her food, knock her out and come back. Do that freaky genjutsu thing ya practice so much." Naruto lit up at the prospect, doubling the speed he got ready at. He was dressed and racing out of the cave before Kiba had even gathered all their clothes.

* * *

"_Hey, look who it is. Doggie-boy." Snickers rang out at the name calling, the boys sneering. Kiba glared fiercely at them, fists clenched. The warning he had been given earlier in the day rang clearly in his ears, barely keeping him from lashing out at his tormentors. A glance over towards the park told him he wouldn't be saved if they decided to gang up on him. Kiku-san, the care provider of the orphanage, was busy with those actually playing._

"_Shut up, Yoji." Kiba snarled, taking a defensive step back as all the boys suddenly glared at the insult to their leader. "Go back to your parents. I'm sure they can pamper you more than I can." There were lots of taunts coming from the boys and Yoji seemed to gain strength from it, a mean grin spreading over his face._

"_Wrong thing to say, Dog-boy." He cracked his knuckles and Kiba's eyes narrowed, watching him carefully. "At least I have parents, unlike you. You're just an unwanted orphan boy." Kiba growled lowly at the insult, twitching in his efforts to hold himself back. No food for supper if he got into another fight, Kiku-san said. He was pretty sure he would go without dinner if Yoji kept taunting him like that._

"_Don't make me hit you, Yoji." All the boys laughed and Yoji just sneered down at Kiba._

"_Do it Dog-boy, see what happens!" Kiba did nothing, clenching his fists tight enough to cut into his palms slightly. "That's right, coward. All talk, just like we thought." That was all he could take and Kiba threw his fist, his knuckles popping as they made contact with Yoji's cheek. Sharp intakes of breath could be heard and Kiba cursed colorfully. For an eight year old, he certainly had a dirty mouth._

_He ran, hearing the angered shouts of the boys. Running to Kiku-san wasn't an option so he ran the other way, far from the park and away from the boys. Anger rushed through him like a drug, moving his legs faster as the shouts of the gang grew behind him and their words reverberated through his head._

_He was not unwanted! Sure, he was a hassle most of the time, but Kiku-san liked him, right? She always said he was her favorite, even though she said that to all the children. More fury flooded through him as he realized he wasn't special to her. He was just a way to earn a paycheck and he was only her favorite when she needed him to calm down._

_Running faster, Kiba pushed himself through the busy and bustling streets of Konoha, trying to get away from his pursuers. He knew that most of the boys could only run so far, but Yoji could run just as fast and as far as he could. That would be a problem and there was only one place Yoji refused to go without his parents: beyond the gates._

_Kiba himself was terrified of what lay beyond the guarded gates, but he needed to get away from Yoji and his gang. Silently cursing the whole time he ran, Kiba had barely managed to get the gates into view when Yoji's voice rang out behind him._

"_I'm gonna get you, Dog-boy!" Alarmed by how close it sounded, he ran faster, hoping to lose the group in the busy streets. Glancing back, Kiba realized he had no such luck as Yoji was hot on his heels. All he could do was pump his legs harder and hope he made it out the gates before his eternal enemy could catch up._

_As he pushed himself as hard as he could, Kiba slowly realized that Yoji's own footsteps were slowing down. The boy most likely realized where he was running. Still, he didn't let up until he had passed the startled guards and disappeared into the trees. Being an orphan, he didn't have any parents who would worry and a child less in the orphanage was considered a blessing, no matter how he disappeared._

* * *

Silence, Naruto found, without his brother there was disturbing. It was rare that he found himself in total silence without his brother and it made him uncomfortable. Running between the trees on the floor, he was fast approaching the scent they had picked up earlier. From where he was heading, it seemed like she was in the field that they used to practice their jutsu whenever they had the time. That would make the theft so much easier because the grass was long.

It wasn't long before he found himself at the very edge of the field and he could clearly see the head that belonged to the girl.

Her head barely popped out over the long grass, dark purple shining as the rays hit it. Naruto zeroed in on it as he crept stealthily through the blades, hardly making a sound. His shaggy hair and fox pelt kept his eyes shaded from the sun and helped him stay hidden. He stopped a few feet in front of her, eyes glued to her hair, loose and hiding her face from his view.

Naruto waited patiently, listening to her breathing to make sure she hadn't sensed him coming. When he was sure she didn't know he was there, he charged.

* * *

A/N- Well, that's that. Sorry for the lack of a note in the first chapter, I was in a rush to get it out. Writing this for my good buddy JGOG132 because I love him. Sweetest guy I know and I know a lot of nice guys. Go talk to him, but don't mention me. -whistles innocently- In case it's not obvious, the first and third scenes are flashbacks. Just FYI.

Crystalline Dream (Now known as Deux Ex Machina)


	3. Chapter 3

JGOG132: Hello, folks! Once again, another chapter, the last full one written by Deux Ex Machina before her unfortunate discontinuation. I'll surely make sure that this story will survive to the very end. If she's reading this, I hope she knows how much she and her work means to me when I finish it for her. Someday, she'll be a great author for real books; I know it.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto or any of its characters, neither does Deux Ex Machina. Enjoy the chapter!

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**Chapter Three**

"Tsunade-sama." The elder woman looked up from the paper she had been staring at for the last few hours. Her pink-haired student looked troubled and Tsunade became worried. "What is the Kyuubi?" She started, looking intensely at Sakura, searching her face. All she found was pure curiosity and she relaxed. Still she wondered why her student would ask such a question out of the blue.

"Why do you ask, Sakura?" she asked. Sakura scratched the back of her head in nervousness before answering.

"Well, the recent thefts that been happening, I'm sure you've already heard, there is talk among the village that the Kyuubi vessel is involved in it." Assured of no ill intentions from her apprentice, Tsunade gave a nod as she was satisfied with the girl's reason. She opened the bottom drawer of her desk and pulled out a bottle of sake and an empty glass, which she filled with the beverage. The Godaime looked to her whilst putting a finger to her lips to keep silent about the hidden stash, to which Sakura nodded with a smile.

"The Kyuubi was the demon that ravaged this village almost twenty years ago." She explained, leaning back from her desk, taking a sip. "You would have only just been born when it happened. There were many children left orphaned from it and your family was lucky enough to survive." Tsunade sighed as she told Sakura what had happened that fateful day.

_Fear. The smell of it was almost tangible as the battle began. Cries of pain and agony resounded loudly as shinobi after shinobi ran to their death, hearts steeled against the urge to run. On the front lines, the Inuzuka clan, their nin-dogs baying at the approaching demon. The Council had ordered them to the front in vain hopes of the fox being afraid of the hound. It was foolish to think such a tactic would work and the laugh of the demon fox rang out, stopping all shinobi in their tracks._

"_Mere pups to stop me!" He bellowed gleefully, striking down those at the very front with a languid swipe of his paw. "What a waste!" Screams and howls drowned out his laughter as, one-by-one, the front line was picked apart, the Inuzuka clan destroyed to save the village. All but one died in the fray, the child born not a month before, still safely tucked in the hospital. Tears pricked the back of Minato's eyes as he thought of the child. Orphaned in one battle and doomed to never know his family. As he continued to watch his shinobi sacrifice themselves, he came to a decision._

_Turning to leave the battlefield, the tears spilled from his eyes. The Sandaime watched worriedly as he passed. Minato forced a smile through his tears, pausing._

"_I want him to be remembered as a hero, Sarutobi-sama. He will be the savior of this village." The words said, he descended the stairs of the Hokage Mansion to go to his wife, only days out of labor. His child would be remembered for all of time as the boy who saved Konoha from the demon fox._

_Minato could barely take his child from his wife's arms, forcing himself to ignore Kushina's agonized wailing when she realized what he was going to do. He left the hospital she was still in, weak from giving birth to their son, to head back to the battlefield and his end. No more shinobi would die because of the scourge outside their gates._

_The tears that ran down his face stopped as he began passing his comrades' bodies, many twisted, contorted, destroyed beyond recognition. He would not show weakness in the face of the monster that would take his life. Minato didn't look anywhere but the cackling beast, ignoring the calls for him to return to the safety inside of the gates._

_He kissed his sleeping son on the head and whispered the last words he would say to him before he would do what must be done, "Your father loves you very much, Naruto."_

_Hundreds watched in horror as their invincible leader, Namikaze Minato, sacrificed himself to seal the demon in a child. As the deaths stopped, the screams were now wails of pain and sorrow. Sarutobi was the first to descend to the almost silent battlefield, forced to walk over the bodies to get to the Yondaime._

_He knew what Minato meant then. He hadn't understood the man's words before, but it was crystal clear now. As he looked down upon the wailing newborn, an intense sadness filled him. Both his parents were dead, Kushina exhausting the little life she had left in her grief. He took the child from Minato's arms, eyes falling on the fading seal on his stomach. That seal was what kept the demon at bay and Sarutobi was determined to carry out Minato's last wish._

_However, as he turned to go back towards the village, all eyes were on the child in his arms. Shocked, he realized that every pair of eyes was filled with hate and rage. In an instant, he knew what they were all thinking and that his words would mean nothing to them._

"_He is to be recognized as a hero of the village." Silence. No one said a word as he passed through the villagers, but he could feel the hateful gazes on his back, trying to penetrate to the child. He would not allow them to see him as the monster, but it would be all for naught. Grief filled his heart as he realized Minato's last wish would not be honored and his child would be treated as the scourge of Konoha._

"But what happened to the child, Tsunade-sama?" Sakura asked, pure sadness written all over her face. Tsunade sighed, a shadow falling over her as she spoke.

"He was chased out of the village at a young age, before he could enter the Academy." She explained, answering Sakura's unasked question of why she had never met him. "Ever since he went missing in the forests at the age of eight, we have been looking for him. I don't share the village's opinion that he is a danger to Konoha, and I hope he is still alive somewhere. If the thefts really are his doing, I will do all I can to bring him back to his home." Sakura was left speechless, disbelief and anger clawing its way into her mind.

She could hardly believe that the kindly people she had grown up around were vicious enough to chase a boy out of the village for merely existing with something inside of him. Her heart went out to the boy and she silently vowed she would do all she could to help Tsunade bring the boy back to the village. No child should have been forced to live like that.

* * *

"Gah... stupid clothes." Kiba scrubbed angrily at the stains that refused to disappear. His fingers were red and blistering from the repeated scrubbing, but they wouldn't come out! He silently wished that Naruto was back, as he was better at getting stains out then Kiba. Kiba was usually the one who dried the clothes, running with the wolves who lived nearby until the clothes they carried dried. He was hopeless when it came to actually cleaning them.

He continued to grumble as the stains slowly began to come out, trying to think of more pleasant things as his hands started to sting. His mind wandered back to when he had first met Naruto, deep in the forests that surrounded Konoha and they now called home.

_Kiba had been scared when the village disappeared from view, but he never stopped moving. His furious sprint had slowed to a quick walk and he jumped at every sound. He pushed his way through the trees and brush, wondering frantically what he was going to do. Even being only eight years old, he realized that he couldn't go back to the village. Despite him being only a child, the guards wouldn't let him in and even if they did, he would only go back to the orphanage and Yoji's mean words. He refused to ever be forced to listen to those cruelties again._

_Suddenly, a loud snap broke him from his thoughts and Kiba froze, eyes darting around feverishly. They landed on the one thing in the forest that didn't belong there. Another boy._

_He looked terrified, crystalline blue eyes wide and watery. His clothes were torn up and his face was dirty, blond hair stained almost brown. Kiba immediately didn't trust him. Children didn't like him, it was a given, and they were often cruel when they met._

_The two stared at each other in silence before the other boy broke it; a whimper escaping his lips. He looked at Kiba as though he was about to be beaten, cowering when Kiba moved in the slightest. The stare down continued, each boy afraid of the other. Finally, Kiba spoke up first._

"_Who are ya?" His course voice made the other boy jump, looking much like a frightened rabbit. He made a weak squeaking noise, still staring at Kiba. "Well?" He squeaked again and forced the words out._

"_Uzumaki Naruto." He said in a surprisingly even voice. "Who are you?" Kiba stared for a few seconds before speaking._

"_Inuzuka Kiba." The silence was tense between the two boys and neither moved to break it, too nervous to say another word._

"Ha, that was the day." Kiba chuckled at the memory, remembering fondly how scared Naruto had been around him for the few days they didn't trust each other. They stuck together though, Kiba managing to convince him that they would survive longer together. It wasn't until days later that they finally trusted each other. He snorted as the memory floated back to him.

"_Come on Naruto, let's go swimming!" From in the water, Kiba grinned widely at the boy still standing on the bank. Naruto glanced nervously at the moving water, wondering dubiously how Kiba hadn't been swept away._

"_I don't know..." He edged slightly closer to the edge, staring untrustfully at the small river. "It looks kinda fast." Kiba snorted, swimming easily against the current. It wasn't very strong, but he was a good swimmer._

"_Aw come on, ya big baby!" He jeered, standing up in the water. It only reached his mid-thigh. "I can stand in it, so it won't blow ya away. Get in!" Naruto hesitated for a moment before sighing and stripping down, tentatively touching the water with his toe. When he was satisfied, he slid into the river, smiling slightly as he did. His grin stayed in place until suddenly, his foot slipped and he went under._

"_Naruto!" Kiba immediately started splashing towards his companion, panic making him faster. There was slight splashes from where he went down and they were slowly moving down with the river. Kiba made it to him just as the splashes stopped._

_Reaching into the water, he grasped around until his hand closed on something fleshy and yanked. Naruto came spluttering to the surface, hacking up water. Kiba dragged him back to the shore and laid him down, watching worriedly until he stopped coughing._

"_How come ya didn't say ya didn't know how to swim?" He demanded to the frightened boy. Naruto shrugged._

"_I did." He said, coughing a little more. "It just got really deep suddenly and the water was over me head all of a sudden. I panicked." Kiba glared at him for a little while longer before sighing, ruffling Naruto's hair._

"_Well I saved ya, so yer fine now." When their gazes met, they both instinctively knew that they trusted each other._

Kiba couldn't help but snicker meanly at that memory. He had lorded the fact that Naruto owed him his life over the boy for days until Naruto returned the favor when Kiba almost choked on food he swallowed too quickly. They had been really close after that, but the pivotal moment of them becoming brothers wouldn't happen for another few years.

* * *

Naruto closed in quickly on the girl, snarling as he rammed into her. The basket that had been in her hand bounced as it hit the ground and she screamed. He winced and pushed her against the nearest tree, hoping to stop the grating noise that hurt his sensitive ears. Her scream was cut off and she whimpered, for the first time looking at him.

Both froze, staring at the other. Naruto was entranced, suddenly more focused on her features than on the food that lay only a few feet away. Pale lavender eyes wide with fear stared up at him, the dark locks framing her delicate face. His own crystalline blue eyes searched her pale skin, but found no mars in its expanse. Of its own accord, his hand lifted to her face, barely an inch away when her breath hitched and her face turned a brilliant shade of red, her heartbeat picking up. Naruto could hear it and it made the corners of his mouth turn up the tiniest bit.

The moment was shattered when a voice called out. "Hinata-sama?" Naruto suddenly jerked back, fear clouding his normally clear blue eyes and he did an awkward bow and stumbled over an apology before grabbing the food and sprinting off, disappearing from Hinata's sight. She stared at the place where he had been moments before when a voice snapped her out of it.

"Hinata-sama? Are you all right? I heard you scream." Neji appeared by her side and Hinata pressed a hand to her chest, still breathing a bit heavily from the experience. She sent a small, reassuring smile at her cousin.

"I just st-stubbed my toe, Neji-nii." She lied, looking away to hide the guilt. "I tripped a-and the basket flew out of my h-hands and I lost it." Neji looked at her skeptically and she worried he would see through her lie, but he eventually nodded.

"Come. Let's get back to the main house since the food is gone." Hinata nodded and followed behind him obediently. Her gaze lingered on the spot she had last seen the mysterious boy before turning away and disappearing into the forest.

Grumbling, Kiba wrung out the last shirt in their pile, his hands aching as he draped it over a branch. The sun had sunk a little ways and he was glad to be done with it. Laundry was the worst of their chores, no matter how Naruto insisted it was evading the shinobi.

Speak of the devil, Naruto landed inside the clearing just as Kiba turned to head back into the cave, basket in hand and a vacant expression on his face. Kiba grinned widely.

"Naruto! Ya're back and ya got the food. Good job." Naruto said nothing, just nodding and tossing the basket to his brother. Kiba immediately noticed his strange behavior and carefully put aside the food for the moment.

"Oi, what's wrong with ya?" Naruto looked up, seeming surprised that Kiba was speaking to him.

"What?" He asked dumbly, his eyes beginning to get the vacant look in them again. Kiba frowned, snapping his fingers in front of his face to keep his attention.

"Ya're spacin' off on me." He said, still trying to keep Naruto's attention. "What's wrong with ya?" Naruto stared for a few moments before shaking his head.

"Nothing. Just thinking." He muttered, forcing himself to try and act normal. Kiba snickered.

"Don't hurt yourself tryin'." He said, grinning slyly at his brother. Naruto snarled playfully at that, leaping at Kiba for retribution. Both laughed as they wrestled across the clearing, rolling around joyfully for a few minutes before taking some time to examine the recent capture of food.

Kiba, with his amazing sense of smell, was intoxicated by the aroma the still warm food exuded. He looked to his brother with a satisfied smirk. "Man, whoever this girl is, she certainly has good taste," he said as he took a bite out of a rice ball which he moaned as he savored its taste. "Uhh yeah," Naruto stammered at the mention of the girl. He sniffed a few of the other cooked grubs which Kiba grimaced in disgust.

"Naruto, do ya have to sniff every single bit of food we steal? It's not like they're poisonous," he said, pouring a two cups of water with a pail.

"It's different this time. The food here smells so good," Naruto said, though secretly hoping that if the girl he saw did prepare the food, her essence would be with it.

Kiba scoffed before handing one of the cups to his brother. "Yeah whatever, just make sure ya don't get yer snot all over it," he joked.

Naruto gasped mockingly before saying, "I'll have you know I keep my nose clean more often then you do."

Kiba cocked an eyebrow with a pretentious expression on his face. "Pleeease, how the hell do ya think that my sense of smell is so great?"

Naruto smirked with a shrug. "I thought I heard you once mention that you were bred from a dog," he teased with a chuckle which earned him a playful but hard punch to the shoulder.

They ate silently for a while until in the middle of their meal Kiba brought up something. "You know I haven't had food this good since...back when we made our first raid," Kiba said reminiscing. "You remember that day?"

Naruto nodded while sipping his water. "All too well, still got the scar on my right ass cheek to remind me." Kiba laughed as he and Naruto drifted back to that day.

* * *

A/N- Next chapter will come some time so be more patient than me. I am SWAMPED with AP work, usually staying up 'til midnight to finish so... yeah. No time to do anything for Lauren. -pouts-


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